Reversal of Destiny
by EvanSol0919
Summary: During the search for the Rainbow Crystals, Usagi begins to change. Her grades are up, she is more calm and is taking on the responsibilities of a leader. But what of the dreams of severed hands and the nightmares of shadowy figures? What has changed?
1. Shadows

So yet another old story I found on my old laptop. It might be old but what's the harm in publishing? Of course I own nothing and never will. Everything belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.

Reversal of Destiny

_Some would say they were destined to destroy each other, but those who believed this were far too simple. Two beings cannot be created to hate, let alone to forever chase one another throughout time and space the way these two forces have. Both were needed to maintain balance, for if one does not know what evil is, how does one recognize good?_

The clouds were an ominous sign as they appeared from seemingly nowhere. The full moon that had just moments ago dominated the sky was now unable to shine down on the sleeping city below, leaving the metal and glass in darkness.

If anyone had looked up, they would have felt a depressing - almost foreboding - aura around the new vapors. Of course, no one paid attention to something as mundane as the atmosphere, especially at this hour. So when the sky seemed to ripple, as if someone - or something - was trying to break through, no one saw.

The tearing continued until a strange shadow seemed to descend from the heavens to the earth itself.

Shadow was a poor word but was the best way to describe it to simple-minded mortals.

It was a dense mass of negative energy that seemed to have a life of its own and it looked like it was trying to find something… or was it someone.

The black outline snaked its way around the city, moving through every dark corner and obscure angle.

The only way to really know it even existed was to feel it.

Feel the coldness that could numb any mind.

Feel the sense of overwhelming despair that lies in the hearts of all men.

Finally, it arrived at a small house in the middle of the city. There was nothing unusual about it from the outside, nothing to distinguish it from the surrounding properties. All the doors and windows were locked but the darkness was not from this world, much less solid. It passed through the walls and went right for its target, as if a beacon was summoning it.

The room was small and was, to put it mildly, disorganized.

It belonged to a tiny girl, sleeping away without a care in the world. Hair belonging to a black animal was evident but no creature was present. There was one other interesting item in the room, a small golden brooch with a crescent moon engraved on the front and four gems in the corners - one red, one blue, one green, and one orange.

The shadow then surrounded the girl, drawing closer and closer…

Cerulean blue eyes awoke with a start as a mouth opened with a gasp.

A light sweat broke out on her forehead, though her body was unusually cold.

"_What was that?"_ the child quietly thought, her mind wandering to the nightmare she just had.

Hands, cold, clammy, dark black were pulling… pulling her down into the darkness as screams seared into her ears…

She shook her head a few times, locks of blonde hair falling to the floor.

"_It was just a dream. It must be these fights. Maybe I should tell… no! She won't listen to me." _

The young girl returned to her rose filled dreams, the hands forgotten.

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So that was the prologue. What do you think?

Love from, EvanSol919!


	2. The First Warning Signs

Alright, thank you snoopykid, Bin82501, and MExTRUNKS4ever for the reviews.

For the record, I'm following the anime right now. So far, Jadeite and Nephrite have been defeated, but both have reverted back to their stone forms, like in the manga. I'm taking elements of both. The reason it's not in the story is that the Senshi don't know.

This chapter is based on episode 25, "Jupiter, the Brawny Girl in Love."

Also, there is no Naru/Nephrite, Zoisite/Kunzite, or Rei/Mamoru in my story! I've always hated those.

And I know it's called the Moon Stick, not the Crescent Moon Wand, but I actually never liked the original name. "Wand" sounds better to me than "Stick".

Nijizuishou: the rainbow crystals (in case some of you are unfamiliar with the Japanese term)

Again, everything belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.

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It had been a few months since that fateful night, not that anything had changed.

"No! I'm late! I'm late!" a small girl with a very unusual hair style screamed as she ran hysterically down the street, a black cat with a crescent moon bald spot and a tiny pink bag in her mouth trailing behind.

It was a rather amusing sight.

_"Oh this girl is going to be the death of me!"_ the poor cat thought. _"I would have hoped that after a few months' worth of battles and the discovery of two Senshi, she would straighten out! Oh Selene, what more can I do?"_

The internal criticizing was broken off as the girl, Tsukino Usagi, ran straight into a very big, brawny man and his two equally large friends.

Fortunately, as was usually the case, someone was around to rescue her. Unusually, it was not a man in a dashing tuxedo, but a rather tall girl with oak brown hair and emerald-green eyes who easily defeated the thugs.

While the little rabbit was focused on the new girl's strength and rose-shaped earrings, Luna was having a different reaction.

_"I've sensed this before. Yes, it's that same feeling when we found Ami-chan and Rei-chan. She's clearly strong, a good mold for a Senshi. I will have to look for her again."_

As luck (or fate) would have it, the brunette - Kino Makoto - was a new transfer student to Usagi's school. The wavy haired girl might have had a reputation for fighting, but was easily charmed by the blonde's cheerfulness and quickly took to her new nickname, "Mako-chan".

After school was over, the fast friends went to the arcade and met up with the other two warriors: Mizuno Ami, a shy, sensible girl with a genius level IQ and Hino Rei, a miko with a fiery temper to match her "Fire Soul" attack.

After a short introduction, accompanied by another immature shouting match between Usagi and Rei, the four girls were distracted by a large crowd centered on one man who was playing the crane game.

He was older with messy brown hair and dressed in jeans, a yellow jacket, a blue backward baseball cap and a pair of thick rimmed glasses over his dark eyes.

The stranger already had a bag full of toys and was aiming for a Sailor Mercury doll. While the others may have missed it, Usagi noticed something strange. The man made a quick hand gesture, and not only did the Mercury figure rise up to meet the crane, but so did a green dinosaur toy as well.

Vaguely, the fair-haired girl heard her classmate Yumi call him "Crane Game Joe" and described how every arcade would lose all their dolls when he came to play. But Usagi was distracted by something else.

_"How weird… I… I __feel__ something towards him, a connection of some sort. But what…"_

"He's exactly like him…"

The blue-eyed girl turned toward her new friend. Makoto was staring at Joe with obvious passion, her cheeks taking on a pinkish tint as her eyes glazed over.

The shorter one shook her head slightly. _"I'm just imagining things,"_ she tried to convince herself.

Yes, her very active imagination was to blame. She couldn't feel anything towards him. She had never spoken a single syllable to him.

Besides, it was different from anything she had ever felt before.

It wasn't the idol worship she felt for Tuxedo Kamen-sama.

No, it was… primitive… almost _primal_...

Pulling out of her thoughts, Usagi turned back around only to find that the brunette had left.

_"She must have followed that Joe guy. I'd better go after her... just in case she needs me, of course."_ The last part being more of an afterthought.

While the other Senshi were still talking about Joe, the rabbit quietly left the arcade, moving down the oddly deserted street.

"Usagi-chan, where do you think you're going? We need to talk to Ami-chan and Rei-chan! Come back here!" Luna yelled as she chased after the two whips of Usagi's unique hairstyle.

The girl in question wasn't paying attention. Though she hadn't seen what direction either had gone, she somehow knew that this was the right way.

"Usagi-chan, wait for me! Us… Usagi-chan, what's wrong?!" Luna's scolding changed to worry as she saw the girl's hands wrap around her neck, desperately gasping for breath. It looked like someone was choking her… but no one else was around…

All it took was an instant before the young girl collapsed onto the hard concrete; her head bouncing as it violently hit the ground.

Pain exploded through her torso. It was agony past imagination… past endurance… and no beautiful rose could save her...

Blue orbs rolled back into her head, leaving only the whites in her eyes visible, a red haze overtaking her vision. Her little body was thrown into convulsions, her throat constricting as if a noose was tied around it.

She couldn't even scream.

Her mind could not form thoughts, not even pleas to end her torment.

How long did it last? It felt like an eternity… and then… it stopped… just as suddenly as it began…

The girl lay there, shivering as though on ice rather than pavement, Luna's frantic voice in the background.

Usagi struggled to get up, shaking the entire way. Covered in a cold sweat, her stomach felt violently ill. Cupping her mouth, she ran to a back corner of a building and promptly began throwing up. Only after a few minutes did her sight finally return and she discovered that she had just vomited blood.

Stumbling away, her loyal cat followed frantically behind.

"Usagi-chan, are you alright? What happened to you?" But she didn't get a response.

Her ward started walking forward, her face white as a sheet. With one hand on the wall beside her, the girl continued to move in the same direction she had before. Less than a minute later, she came upon three people. One man was on the ground, clutching his chest. A tall brunette was in a fighting stance. The third occupant was a shorter man dressed in an all too familiar gray uniform with green lining.

He had dirty blonde hair and moss-green eyes. It took her a minute to realize that Joe was on the concrete, Makoto was fighting and the other man was clearly a member of the Dark Kingdom.

_"Well, isn't this a weird gathering,"_ Usagi thought absent-mindedly, but then shook her head and cried out, "Mako-chan, what's going on?"

Her voice was remarkably composed, considering what just happened.

The man from hell disappeared as both girls rushed over to Joe. He pushed them away, screaming that he wanted to be left alone.

Makoto immediately followed, not even looking at her new friend. Usagi froze for a moment before trailing behind.

"Usagi-chan, get back here right now! We need to talk! That man might have been part of the Dark Kingdom!" the guardian cat cried out.

_"Of course he was part of the Dark Kingdom. That aura was unmistakable,"_ the soldier thought. _"It can't be a coincidence. Another enemy shows up out of the blue and I have a… an attack… it's defiantly connected."_

She caught up with her friend outside a local café. Joe was already inside, drinking some coffee.

"He looks exactly like my sempai at my old school who broke my heart," Makoto whispered, more to herself than Usagi.

The blonde still felt a little light-headed and sat down. The brunette didn't seem to notice, her large eyes still gazed on the man on the other side of the glass.

But the cat looked on anxiously, clearly thinking on what had transpired mere minutes ago.

"I think he wants to see you," Usagi said in a calm tone as Joe motioned for Makoto to join him.

"I guess... Usagi-chan, are you alright?" the tall girl asked, finally looking at her friend's still colorless face.

The little one mustered all the happiness she could. "Of course I am silly! Now go, go!" as she practically pushed her nervous companion through the door.

The two then began talking as Usagi began to think.

_"Is Joe the reason that… that happened? He looked like he was in pain too. Or was it that guy from the Dark Kingdom?"_

A scream ripped through the air as shards of glass sprinkled onto the ground, barely managing not to cut the girl still sitting outside.

Joe was running away from his two pursuers, one a very determined headstrong girl who thought she was in love and the other a super powered villain from another dimension.

It was hard to say which hunter was worse.

The leader didn't know what was going on but dashed after the three anyway.

They seemed to be running for hours as they entered the park, the nighttime sky descending on them.

_"Oh no, it's getting dark. Maybe I should, no! I need to follow them. I…"_ the blonde's thoughts stopped, the crippling pain overtaking her once more.

Subconsciously, she had expected it to return but that was small comfort as her body thrashed on the grass, trying and failing to fight off an enemy that she couldn't see or smell or feel.

Distantly, she heard Luna's frenzied voice but couldn't even muster the strength to move her head, redness overtaking her eyes again.

Death would have been preferable… but it seemed that the Gods had decided not to be merciful today.

As before, the pain ended as quickly and suddenly as it came.

Unlike the first time, Usagi was able to regain her composure and limped forward.

Not too far away, the three people she was chasing appeared.

Makoto was unharmed… but Joe was transforming…

This Youma took the form of a red humanoid with parts of a crane machine attached to his body.

Despite the monster right in front of her, who referred to himself as "Gesen", all the girl's attention was focused on the third-party.

The man from the Dark Kingdom had a small red crystal in his hand. An incredible power radiated from it, drawing her closer.

"_It's MINE! It belongs to me and me alone_!" Usagi thought in an angry, irrationally possessive way as she shouted "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" into the black sky, the familiar pink ribbons encircling her body.

Sailor Moon walked into the clearing. "Stop right there, Zoisite!"

_"Wait, Zoisite? How did I know his name? But it __is__ his name. I know that it is."_

"Ah, Sailor Moon, we meet at last, though it is apparent you already know me. Well, as much as I would love to avenge my fallen brothers, I am content with taking the Nijizuishou with me," Zoisite stated before he vanished.

_"Nijizuishou… the rainbow crystals... that means…"_ her distracted thoughts were cut off as Gesen ensnared the warrior in his grasp.

So caught up in her own predicament, which any reasonable person would be, the leader was barely aware of the "Jupiter Power, Make Up!" being yelled.

It was only after a large jolt of electricity freed her that she realized that Makoto was, in fact, the green clad Sailor Jupiter.

The blonde regained her stance. "Alright then, Moon Tiara Ac…"

"Wait, Sailor Moon! He's still human! You have to turn him back!" Luna shouted before Sailor Moon had a chance to disintegrate the Youma with her attack.

"_Why_?" her mind whispered but the voice quickly disappeared. "How do we do that?"

As with the brooch and the transformation pens, the moon cat produced a small pink stick with a red jewel engraved in it and a large crescent moon on top.

"This is the Crescent Moon Wand. Now, Sailor Moon, all you have to say is…"

"Moon Healing Escalation!" the soldier of the moon shouted before the cat even completed her sentence.

A mist of sparkles and light engulfed the area in warmth. Joe was returned to normal after a cry of "Refresh!" and fell on the ground, completely unconscious.

Sailor Moon examined the wand. The power that originated from it was unlike anything she ever felt… and it was _hers_.

"Sailor Moon, how did you know the attack's name?" Luna asked cautiously.

"I… don't know. I just did," the Senshi answered honestly. The command just came to her, almost on instinct.

The cat moved on, informing the new ally on their mission to stop the Dark Kingdom and find the Moon Princess.

Sailor Moon's mind was still focused on the wand and the crystal when she realized she had overlooked something very important.

_"Wait a minute… Mako-chan is Sailor Jupiter! Yay! Now she can make me lots and lots of treats!"_ her mind retreating back to its fourteen year old self.

They decided to meet up at Rei's temple tomorrow to inform the ice and fire warriors about what had occurred.

The comrades parted ways as Usagi and Luna made their way back home. While the cat wanted to talk about what had happened, the human decided that now would not be the best time.

After apologizing to her parents for being late, the teenager made her way back to her trashed bedroom, exhaustion overtaking her as she collapsed on the bed.

"Usagi-chan, what happened earlier?" the animal whispered as she curled up next to the girl.

"I don't know, Luna. I truly don't know. I was just standing there and…" she stopped herself. "I really don't want to talk about it right now, okay? And please don't say anything to the others. I don't want them to worry."

Luna was about to protest but Usagi cut her off. "Please?"

The cat reluctantly gave in, but only on the condition that if it happened again they would tell the girls.

Usagi only half agreed.

It would happen again, that much was certain, the only question was when.

As sleep took her into the word of dreams, the girl heard a quiet voice in the back of her mind...

_"Close… close… close…"_

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So, let me know what you think!

Love from, EvanSol0919!


	3. Changes

I played around with Zoisite's personality. I hated him in the anime and I _really_ hate _her_ in the dub. (That still cracks me up!)

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_Spinning and spinning._

_Drowning in water that was cold as ice, hitting her skin like a thousand burning blades._

_She cried out, again and again, but no one saved her. No one was around, no one cared…_

Tsukino Usagi awoke with a gasp, blonde bangs sticking to her forehead, a few tears rolling down her full cheeks.

With a shaking hand, she reached over for her clock. It read 3:33 am. Luna was gone, probably at the arcade/command center. After all, just mere hours ago, Sailor Jupiter had been awakened, a new member of the Dark Kingdom appeared, the first Nijizuishou had been discovered and taken by the enemy, and she'd had two "episodes" .

And now she was having nightmares.

"_A lot happened. It's only natural that I'm scared," _the child thought while taking a few deep breaths.

Trying to go back to sleep was not an option.

That water, the sense of loneliness… the abandonment.

And the pain... she knew all too well about _that_ kind of pain…

Stopping her thoughts, the teenager grabbed the closest manga and began to read. A few minutes passed before she threw it to the ground. She couldn't concentrate on a story she already knew.

"_I wonder if I should tell Luna about these dreams. And maybe I should talk to… no they won't listen. They'll just make fun of me, especially Rei-chan."_

Instead she did something she had never once done in fourteen years.

Tsukino Usagi picked up a school book and began to read.

Luna returned less than an hour later, and nearly had a heart attack.

Not only had her ward completed her English assignment, she was now working on a math problem.

"Usagi-chan," Luna choked out, "You're not sleeping and you're… you're… actually doing your homework. Is something… going on?" Thankfully, the cat managed to avoid saying the word "wrong".

The girl replied that she couldn't sleep and needed something to do.

"_Maybe this is it. Maybe now that she knows she's the leader of the Sailor Senshi and sees that innocent humans are being turned into Youma she's decided to take responsibility for her actions. At least it's a start. But I wonder if the reason she couldn't sleep was about what happened yesterday,"_ Luna thought with worry. Nevertheless, she decided to keep a closer watch on her ward.

By five, Usagi was done with all her homework. The best part was that it did take her mind of her "episodes" and nightmares. It was different and certainly required all her attention and concentration.

Staying in bed for another hour with nothing to do was not an option. Moving around and keeping her mind preoccupied with different tasks seemed to be working.

Needless to say, the rest of her family was shocked when they saw her at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper, her lunch made and books by the door.

After nearly a half-hour of her mother retaking her temperature and Shingo claiming that his sister had been abducted by aliens, Usagi was able to leave for school.

Not only was she on time but was one of the first in the class. The other students were amazed but Haruna-sensei's reaction was even more extreme than her mothers. The red-head seemed to have multiple strokes when Usagi actually handed in her homework, not to mention that it was correct.

The teacher began to ask all sorts of question, everything from what she had eaten in the last 24 hours to if she had been around any toxic waste dumps.

"Tsukino-san, I really think you should go to the nurses, or maybe the hospital. You might have something serious!" the English teacher cried out as Usagi walked away.

"_Yeah, a serious headache; Are they really that surprised that I got here on time and had my homework done?" _she asked, rather hurt at the reactions.

After school, Usagi, Ami, and Makoto traveled to Hikawa Shrine where Rei was already waiting.

Luna explained about the Seven Great Youma, the seven Nijizuishou, and the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, the Illusionary Silver Crystal.

Unlike the other meetings, Usagi's was fully paying attention. Shivers run down her spine when it was mentioned that this crystal could destroy an entire planet. _"What an incredible power! If only we had it, we could defeat the Dark Kingdom and return to our normal lives."_

Once their guardian had told them everything she knew, Usagi excused herself, claiming she needed to run some errands.

While Rei objected, the blonde had a shrewd feeling that Luna wanted to talk to the others alone. Hopefully the cat would leave the little "episode" out.

Arriving at the park where the last battle occurred, Usagi wondered if it should be called an episode. Maybe fit or seizure was the word. No, it was deeper than that. She remembered that Joe had been on the concrete in obvious pain after Zoisite's first attack and then turned into a Youma after the second. Were they linked? Was the pain she felt the same as what Joe felt? Was it some sort of calling, and if so, why would a calling cause that kind anguish?

No, it had to be linked to the crystals. After the red gem had been removed, she felt nothing for Joe.

Thinking about it made her brain hurt but she couldn't _stop_ herself either. The wind rustled and the leaves flew back up into the trees.

Yes, the girl was exhausted, but she only had a few hours of sleep. That was enough to make anyone tried. Yes… that was why her head was spinning… spinning… spinning…

Her vision was cloudy, her head throbbing. There was an awful lot of gray where there was supposed to be green. When her sight returned, Usagi realized there was no green because she wasn't in the park. Instead, she had her back against a wall in a deserted alley.

Frantically looking around, she saw she was still wearing her uniform - which thankfully wasn't out-of-place - and still had her bag. Walking toward the sunlight, she looked around for anything that would state a location. A sign soon caught her attention.

"_I'm in Chinatown! In Yokohama! That's nowhere near the park! How on earth did I get here?" _Did she fall asleep and begin sleepwalking? No, that didn't make sense. She couldn't exactly have walked over a half-hour to Japan's second largest city. "_Maybe I was transported or something."_

It seemed rather plausible, given the fact that she had been fighting monsters from hell for the last few months.

Against her better judgment, Usagi decided to walk around to see if someone - or something – had summoned her to this location.

All of a sudden, the pink stick in her bag began to glow and beep.

"_One of the crystals is nearby! I have to get it no matter what!" _Letting the wand be her guide, the rabbit ran until the signal lead her to a cemetery.

"_It's here! I __know__ it's here! It's…" _and that's when it began.

Her flesh was being ripped off, her bones on fire, her body falling between two gravestones as it withered in agony.

How fitting.

There was only one difference.

Instead of a red mist covering her eyesight, it was now an orange hue.

Not that it helped.

The madness seemed to drag on for days, years even, but it eventually passed as it had before.

Her limbs were heavy as the girl struggled to get to her hands and knees.

Perspiration rolled down her beautiful pale face, seeping into the grass beneath her.

"_No, the crystal... I need the crystal. Once I have it, I'll feel better. I __know__ it."_

She quickly transformed and found the battle.

The Youma could only be described as a green demon with angel who had decided to become a boxer.

"_I swear these things keep getting weirder and weirder."_

Zoisite was clearly looking for something, no doubt the crystal.

Making her usual introduction, the general immediately told the monster, who called himself Boxy, to attack her.

Oddly enough, it was quite easy to doge the boxing gloves. _"Huh, maybe these fights are actually starting to pay off."_

A flicker of light caught her blue eyes. Expecting it to be the crystal, she turned and instead saw a star-shaped locket. Distracted, she didn't notice that Boxy had just fired two gloves at her. A familiar cry of "Sailor Moon!" broke her out her trance.

Instinctively, she reached for her tiara. Without even saying anything, it glowed and cut through the incoming gloves. Not stopping for a moment, it sliced through the torso of the beast. Blood ran down his chest as he fell to his knees, the red liquid splashing onto the graves.

Sailor Moon stood there in amazement and fear as her weapon returned to her hand.

"_I never meant for that to happen. I didn't want to hurt him. But it was incredible. I never knew I could use my tiara without calling the attack name. And look at it! It's never glowed like this before. Is this what I'm really capable of? No, I need to heal him and leave before this gets out of hand."_

She quickly grabbed the Crescent Moon Wand and Boxy was turned back into a priest, who, thankfully, wasn't wounded.

Looking around, she realized that Zoisite and Tuxedo Kamen-sama were both gone. Yes, even though she hadn't seen him, he was there.

"_One of them must have the crystal. If I hadn't been distracted by this stupid locket, I could have gotten it."_

Opening the circle on top of the star, a beautiful melody was released... no… more like a lullaby.

It was… nice, but hardly a substitute for the real prize. Scowling, the teen quickly thought of a cover story.

"_Let's see… I decide to go to Chinatown to get something for Naru-chan when the wand started buzzing. The Youma had already appeared and I turned him back to normal, but either Zoisite or Tuxedo Kamen-sama has the crystal. I didn't see which. There's no way I'm mentioning anything else," _the now normal Usagi thought, making up her excuse.

Hopefully her lying skills had increase along with her fighting abilities.

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Chiba Mamoru stepped out from the shadow of a nearby building, the orange crystal locked tightly in his hands.

Despite the fact that he had managed to take one of the Nijizuishou, the man was more preoccupied with what Sailor Moon had done.

Effortlessly dodging the Youma's attacks was one thing, but the tiara was something else. He had seen her destroy several dark creatures with it, but this one was human. The Sailor Moon he knew would never attack an innocent person, even if they had been transformed into a monster.

There was also the expression on her face. While it was one of shock, there was a moment where she looked content, almost pleased with the result... like she _enjoyed_ it...

"_No, I must have imagined that. What's important is that I have the crystal and once I have the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, all of my memories will return. That is my mission."_

At least that's what he tried to convince himself, ignoring the feeling of dread creeping into his stomach…

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A lone figure appeared out of the shadows.

He walked toward two stones inside glass coffins in the middle of the room. They were all that remained of his fellow Shitennou, the Four Heavenly Kings.

His brothers…

The man remembered how they became this way, punishment for their failures to defeat the Sailor Senshi. Beryl, had stripped them of their bodies, right down to the rocks they were created from. The Queen of Hatred said that once the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou was in her grasp she would restore them.

He didn't believe her for an instant.

But what was he but a piece of stone that she had given life too? What choice did he have?

"Zoisite," a new voice called his name from the darkness.

The figure turned his head to view another man, his stark white hair glowing slightly in the shadowy room.

"Do you have the second crystal?"

The blonde general shook his head, his ponytail swaying back and forth.

"Queen Beryl is going to be upset. Do the Senshi have it?" the leader of the four brothers asked.

"No, the one called Tuxedo Kamen does."

Kunzite thought about this for a minute. "Yes, the one with the unusual aura. We still don't know what his intentions are. Anyway, the Queen seems to be interested in him at least."

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Something happened with Sailor Moon today. Before she turned the Youma back into a human, I sensed something from her. It was only for a moment, but I sensed the same kind of energy from her as I do from Queen Beryl."

The taller man was unfazed. "It might have just been you. Do not worry about it until you have something conclusive."

Zoisite agreed. _"Still, I know it wasn't just me. I felt it, the same coldness that was just barely masked the anger underneath. I'll have to be careful next time. There's no telling what that kind of power could mean."_

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The ocean seemed to glow as the light of the full moon blessed it with such beauty.

Near the edge of the shoreline, an outline appeared against background.

The person breathed in the salty smell of the water, and, while exhaling, whispered to herself.

"Something's changed."

But no one was around to hear.

Nothing but the Moon...

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So what did you think? Please comment!

Love from, EvanSol919!


	4. Spoken and Unspoken

So this is probably going to be the last "searching for the Nijizuishou" chapters.

Enjoy!

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A soft yellow glow lightened up the tiny bedroom and the small girl who was holding it.

Holding? No, it was floating above her hand. The light compacted back to the crystal, and then expanded out again.

Like a little heartbeat.

"_I knew these crystals were powerful, but I never imagined this. It's so beautiful."_

Once again, Usagi's loyal cat wasn't around to lecture her about her "improper" use of the Nijizuishou even though it had saved their lives.

"_She's probably worried. I can see that, but this power is great! I have no regrets on how I used it. I mean, really, the others shouldn't have been so horrified. I saved us all. They __should__ be grateful," _she thought fiercely as she remembered the day's earlier events…

(That morning)

It started at school when the midterm exam grades were posted.

Usagi stood on the stairs while some of her classmates were astonished that instead of being at the bottom, she had the 27th highest score in their year.

Of course, since she had become friends with the now second highest performer, they assumed that she either had special tutoring or found a new way to cheat.

Despite her blank face, Usagi was hurt by their whispers. "_Honestly, is it really that big of a deal? Did they truly believe that I had some kind of learning disability or something?"_

"Good job, Usagi-chan. I knew if you hit the books you would do fine," said the voice of her fellow Senshi Ami, Makoto right next to her.

The blonde smiled but decided to change the subject. "What about you Ami-chan? You're second to that Urawa Ryo. Who is he anyway?"

The resident genius explained that he just transferred to Juuban Municipal Junior High and was in her class.

They had been getting a lot of transfer students lately.

Just then, a small boy with beautiful dark blue eyes came into view.

Usagi's own eyes widen as she felt that pulling feeling toward the boy.

"That's him," Ami told her friends. Hearing her soft voice, the boy turned around blushing then ran down the hall. "He's a little strange," the brain said densely.

"_He is a carrier. I'm sure of it. But the others won't believe me. I better keep a __very __close eye on him and avoid the others in case…" _but she refused to finish the thought.

Usagi quickly excused herself and followed this Urawa to the roof. She saw he was reading an old newspaper article when Ami was ranked first in the nation.

"So, Urawa-kun, you do like Ami-chan!"

"_Perfect. I can say I'm going to help him capture Ami-chan's heart. It's a great cover and it might actually work!"_

What she didn't expect was Urawa to jump back, his eyes as wide as they could be. "Stay away from me."

He then took off and was hit by a bucket of water. He didn't seem to notice as he rushed down the steps, leaving the girl very confused.

_"What was __that__ about? Ami-chan was right, he __is__ strange. Still I have to follow him. I missed the last two crystals. I __will__ get this one, no matter what."_

She stayed close to the boy for the rest of the day, following him to a small restaurant after school was finished.

"Usagi-chan! What are you doing?" said the voice of her very annoyed guardian cat.

Instead of answering, the leader pulled out the pink wand that was making that irritating sound.

"A crystal carrier is nearby! We need to tell the others. Why haven't you called them?" Luna cried out. _"And here I thought she was becoming more responsible!"_

The blue-eyed girl continued to stare straight ahead as she answered. "Because it just started going off and I don't know who it's reacting to. Am I supposed to check every person in the restaurant to see who it is? Yeah, that's _really _inconspicuous."

The black cat stared at her ward in surprise. _"Not only did she know the word 'inconspicuous' but that is a well-reasoned answer. Come to think of it, since she started doing her homework and passing her tests, she hasn't been crying or eating excessively. That's a good thing, but her bubbly personality isn't really there. I wanted her to mature… but now I'm concerned. And this all started when the Nijizuishou were first discovered..." _Luna remembered all too well when Usagi had those two seizures.

She hadn't asked if there had been another.

The detector then began to pick up speed as Urawa Ryo came out of the door.

He took one look at Usagi and ran in the opposite direction. Luna looked up and was surprised to see this fierce look of determination on the soldier's face. Without a word, she began to chase the carrier with the cat on her tail.

"Ah, Usagi-chan, what are you doing here? Decided to try cram school?"

The leader turned around to the familiar blue-haired girl, realizing her search had led her to one of Ami's many cram schools.

How many did she go to again? Four, five… twenty?

"Ami-chan, we found the next carrier," the talking cat explained.

"_Found the next carrier? I wonder who it could be. And…what is that look on Usagi-chan's face? It's so hard… and cold."_

"We'll need to contact the others. Ami-chan, Usagi-chan, get out your communicators and... Usagi-chan!" Luna cried out as the girl became deathly pale and hurried to a deserted alley, the other two following closely behind.

Once covered in shadow, she began hyperventilating, tears streaking down her face. Ami's eyes expanded in shock but a part of her mind, the one that had read countless medical books, assessed the situation.

"She's having some sort of seizure! I'll call an ambulance. In the meantime…" the rest of her words were cut off by her friend's choked sobs.

The rabbit began to wither on the ground, clearly in absolute agony.

Luna yelled her name while Ami attempted to hold her in place. It was a sight she could never forget.

Usagi began to foam at the mouth like some diseased animal. Her tears were actually blood that stained her cheeks… and her eyes…

"_They're yellow."_

Ami didn't know what was happening to her friend; she had never seen anything like this and had no idea what to do.

Her body suddenly stopped thrashing thought she continued to twitch for a few more seconds.

Still shaking, Usagi managed to stand up. "We need to go. Zoisite's removed the yellow crystal from Urawa Ryo, and do _not_ give me that look Luna! We're leaving now!"

And with that, the blonde ran out of the alleyway, her cheeks still red.

"_Urawa-kun's a carrier? And how did she know it was the yellow crystal? Her eyes were yellow for a moment. What is going on?"_

"Ami-chan, I'm just as concerned, but we need to follow her. Transform now and call the others," Luna commanded.

She nodded and did as told. Ami, now Sailor Mercury, ran off after her leader and taking out her communicator.

Arriving at the same park where the first of the Nijizuishou battles had taken place the second was already underway.

The Youma looked like… well… what _did_ it look like? A large lizard with two legs and white body armor with arms that looked like scissors was probably the closest thing to an accurate description.

Anyway, this "Bunbo" was currently chasing Sailor Moon around, though she didn't seem to be having any problem evading his attacks.

In fact, she managed to trick the Youma into colliding with Zoisite, and by doing do, he lost his grip on the crystal.

The yellow gem began to glow the moment it touched the Senshi's hand.

"_So this is what it's like to hold a Nijizuishou. It's more powerful than I imagined. And this is just one of seven! And the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou… what could __that__ power be like?"_

So absorbed in her own thoughts, Sailor Moon failed to notice that the monster had reemerged and Zoisite was commanding it to retrieve the crystal from her.

Only when a cry of "Sailor Moon" from her teammate reached her ears was she able to snap out of her trance.

However, she wasn't the least bit afraid, the shining stone in her hand filling her with strength.

"BUNBO!" the monster cried out, the Senshi it was charging at looking up with utter disgust.

"_Abomination..."_

Sailor Moon simply lifted up the crystal to face the incoming beast. A thick beam of yellow light burst from the stone, engulfing the creature, its shrieks shaking the air itself.

Bunbo crumbled to the ground, his skin burning off and falling onto the concrete as his scissor arms disintegrated into nothing…

"Stop it Sailor Moon! You're killing him! He's still human!" screamed Sailor Mars who, along with Sailor Jupiter, had just arrived.

The ray of light vanished, though the crystal was still glowing.

Sailor Moon quickly healed Urawa who promptly collapsed but showed no signs of what he had just gone through. No one went to his side.

They were all staring numbly at one person.

"It seems Zoisite has taken off," the individual said, ending the awkward silence.

Jupiter stepped forward, saying what everyone else was thinking. "Sailor Moon, how did you do that? It was incredible, but you could have seriously hurt the boy."

"I don't exactly know what came over me. I guess I just got carried away," she said smiling apologetically, "How it happened, I can't say. From the moment I held the crystal… it just started reacting. That's got to be a good sign, right?"

The others weren't entirely convinced.

After finally checking on Urawa, Mercury wanted to look at the crystal using her supercomputer.

At first, it didn't look like Sailor Moon was going to give it to her, but then handed the stone over without a word.

The light vanished the moment the crystal left her hand. After Mercury failed to get any information, Mars and Jupiter also decided to hold the crystal to see if it would have the same response, completely forgetting that they were still in the middle of the park and were being closely monitored by a figure in the shadows.

After nothing happened, Sailor Moon took possession of the crystal once more and it immediately began to shimmer once more. "Well, I think that settles it. I'll keep the _Nijizuishou_ with me in case I need it."

"Maybe that's not a good idea, Sailor Moon. You don't know how to control that kind of power," Luna reasoned.

A flash of anger crossed over her ward's face before she calmly replied. "That's exactly why I need it. I have to learn how to harness its potential. We can discuss this tomorrow. I think we all could use a good night's rest."

And with that she took off, faster than any of the others could follow.

"Stay… away… from… her," a cracked voice panted from behind.

"No, Urawa-kun! Stay where you are and…" but Mercury was cut off by the boy.

"She… will be… our doom. Please… listen to me. I was born with the ability to see the future. I already knew what I was, what was going to happen to me, and what I would become."

Looking directly at Mercury, he said "That's why I'm at the top of the class. But recently, my visions have become… blurry. Almost like a bad reception or something. I knew Zoisite was coming after me but… but the details were so... fuzzy. I did see a few things clearly though."

Suddenly looking at all of them, he quickly asked, "Does a star have any meaning to any of you? An eight pointed star?"

None of the Senshi or the cat had the slightest clue what he was talking about. "This star, it will be important. And I saw something else. Sailor Moon, she will be part of it. The Apocalypse is coming."

"Urawa-kun, don't worry about the Dark Kingdom. We can…"

"No! It's not the Dark Kingdom. It's much bigger than that. It's…" then he stopped. "It doesn't matter. None of you will believe me until it's too late. Even now you cannot comprehend, cannot possibly understand... I want to say that the rest of you should kill her but… I don't think you can now. Just… pray. Pray I'm wrong."

He stumbled away, leaving the group of girls speechless.

Wordless, they agreed to leave before anything _else_ could happen.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, the crystal itself nearly killed one of the Great Youma?" Kunzite skeptically asked Zoisite.

"Yes, it was… unlike anything I have ever seen. Sailor Moon is obviously growing more powerful, but… the sense of warning… of danger was so strong. The way the Nijizuishou responded… not even Queen Beryl had that reaction when she held the red crystal. All I'm saying is that we have to be careful, otherwise I'm not sure what will happen."

Kunzite nodded in response while they silently agreed not to tell their queen. She was going to be livid once she found out that a crystal had fallen into the Senshi's hands. This extra detail would only get them into more trouble.

XXXXXXXXXX

"And that's what happened," Luna stated to the computer.

"Well, let's think about this for a second. Sailor Moon is the leader of the Sailor Senshi. It only makes sense that she would be more powerful than the rest," the screen rationalized.

"Yes, but the crystal. Shouldn't the Princess be the only one who can tap into their power?"

"Perhaps it's her connection to the Moon that's allowing her to use the Nijizuishou. That would also explain why she can sense a carrier and the pain she feels before a crystal is removed," the machine reasoned.

Though it seemed plausible, Luna wasn't convinced. Something else was going on and they needed to find out what.

And fast.

XXXXXXXXXX

From the balcony, midnight blue eyes could gaze upon the entire city.

It appeared the same as always, but it felt like there was a darker force beneath it. Or maybe that was a reflection of his state of mind.

The black-haired man's only thoughts were on the battle that took place just an hour earlier. As he held the small orange crystal in his palm, he remembered the way the yellow one had blazed with power in Sailor Moon's hand.

It was absolutely amazing… and terrifying. In that moment, she wasn't the crying girl at Osa-P Jewelers anymore. She became a true warrior – strong, confident, and eager for battle.

But there was a darker side to her beautiful face, one of sadistic pleasure at the cries of her victim.

He shuddered.

No, he needed to think about retrieving the next Nijizuishou for the purpose of finding the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, not about what kind of power Sailor Moon would possess if she held another.

"_I shouldn't be thinking about her. I need to focus, but when I see those eyes…"_

Shaking his head, Chiba Mamoru, also known as Tuxedo Kamen, went back into his apartment, praying for a dreamless night that he knew wouldn't come.

XXXXXXXXXX

The wall of fire seemed to burn with more intensity than usual, though that may have reflected the concentration of the one sitting in front of it.

Her dark eyes were closed in meditation; her black hair seemed to ripple in the presence of the flames.

"_Stay… away… from her. She will… be… our doom. None of you will believe me until it's too late._ _Sailor Moon… she will be part of it. The Apocalypse is coming."_

Urawa's words were running through Rei's mind, over and over again.

Before tonight, the idea that Tsukino Usagi - crybaby, clumsy, "I'll eat anything" - Usagi could be part of "The Apocalypse" was laughable.

But now...

The power the blonde wielded was indescribable… but there was something behind it. Around her body there was some sort of foreign energy.

It couldn't be described as either good or bad… it was just… out of place. And it seemed to… pulse? Was that the right word?

The fire remained silent.

Rei opened her violet orbs, the shadows underneath them becoming more pronounced.

"_But recently, my visions have become… blurry. Almost like a bad reception or something. I knew Zoisite was coming after me… but the details were so fuzzy."_

If Urawa had a bad connection, then the miko had lost her ability entirely.

"_What's going on? Why can't I __see__ anything?"_

If she were being completely honest with herself, it seemed that something … or perhaps someone... was tampering with her sixth sense… but how?

"_Does a star have any meaning to any of you? An eight pointed star?"_

No, she knew nothing of an eight pointed star. Was it some sort of symbol? What did it mean?

"_I want to say that the rest of you should kill her but… I don't think you can now…"_

Kill Usagi…

No, Rei knew she could never do that. Her entire body recoiled at the thought. The practicing Shinto knew she could never take a life. Youma were one thing, they were monsters, soulless, that turned to dust when killed. A human life was out of the question.

Especially a fellow Senshi, her leader, her… friend…

As Phobos and Deimos landed beside her, one thing was abundantly clear...

"_Things are going to get a lot worse."_

XXXXXXXXXX

"_They __should__ be grateful," _Usagi thought, tossing her long hair to the side in annoyance.

"_And why did Luna even __suggest__ that someone else should have the crystal? Isn't it obvious that it __choose__ me?"_

But beyond the thoughts there was something else. Holding the crystal, seeing it shine, made her feel safe, powerful… sane…

"_Let the nightmares come. I'm ready now."_

XXXXXXXXXX

What did you think? Figured out what's going on with Usagi yet?

Please comment!

Love from, EvanSol919!


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